By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Somalia, 2 Febuary, 2026 Somalia’s government said on Monday it had detained a 20-year-old man identified as the son of former Al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2014.
According to state broadcaster Somali National Television (SNTV), the man, named as Abdifatah Ahmed Abdi, was arrested in Mogadishu following allegations of theft and security-related offences. Authorities said he had been tracked through surveillance camera footage.
The report said Abdi had lived a difficult life, reportedly leaving school in the northern city of Hargeisa before moving through towns including Baydhabo and eventually settling in the Mogadishu neighbourhood of Baar-ubah
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He was arrested alongside a friend, identified as Faysal Hashi Jama, after they were accused of stealing a young woman’s mobile phone. SNTV reported that investigations indicated the pair had links to groups involved in drug abuse and self-harm substances.
Ahmed Abdi Godane, also known as Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubair, was the second leader of Al- Shabaab, leading it from 2008 until his death in 2014. Under his leadership, the group aligned more closely with al Qaeda.
While Abdi is the son of a man described by the government as having caused great suffering in Somalia, officials said he would receive care, emphasizing a protective approach.
